Wiper for a Cosmetic Product Container, Container Comprising such a Wiper and Applicator Assembly Comprising such a Container

ABSTRACT

A wiper for a cosmetic product container, the container comprising a body forming a cavity which is intended to receive the cosmetic product, the wiper comprising: a first part, referred to as the fixing part, which can be fixed to said body, and a second, flexible part, which is designed to extend within the cavity, from a shoulder of said body. The flexible part being further designed so as to prevent the cosmetic product from coming into contact with the shoulder, the flexible part being integral with the fixing part or attached to the fixing part. A container comprises such a wiper and an applicator assembly comprises such a container.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to French Application Serial No. 1456848, filed Jul. 16, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The invention relates to a wiper for a cosmetic product container, to a container comprising such a wiper and to an applicator assembly comprising such a container.

BACKGROUND

Applicator assemblies for cosmetic products, in particular for cosmetic products to be applied to the eyelashes, such as mascara, comprising a container containing the cosmetic product and an applicator sub-assembly which can be removably fixed to the receptacle, are known. The container generally comprises a body, the body having walls which delimit a cavity which contains the cosmetic product, and a collar defining an opening through which the cosmetic product can be removed, the collar comprising a neck.

The applicator sub-assembly generally comprises a cap which can be fixed to the neck, a rod extending from the cap and an applicator fixed to a free end of the rod. The applicator comprises a core and a plurality of protrusions or bristles extending from the core. When the cap is fixed to the neck, the rod and the applicator extend within the container. The applicator is immersed in the cosmetic product contained in the container.

To use the applicator, the user detaches the cap from the neck and removes the applicator from the container.

To prevent the applicator from being overloaded with cosmetic product, the container generally comprises a wiper, fixed within the neck. When the user removes the applicator from the container, the applicator and the rod slide within the wiper. The wiper scrapes off excess cosmetic product on the rod and on the applicator. The wiper thus makes it possible to control the amount of product which is on the applicator and prevents an excessive amount of cosmetic product from being applied to the eyelashes.

Known applicator assemblies have the drawback of only retrieving some of the cosmetic product that they contain. This is because, when the user removes the applicator sub-assembly from the container, some of the cosmetic product on the rod and on the applicator becomes stuck under the collar of the container, within said container. It has been noted that the cosmetic product accumulates at this point, therefore becoming inaccessible to the user. It is thus lost.

One problem addressed by the invention is to increase the cosmetic product retrieval capacity of applicator assemblies.

SUMMARY

Therefore, the invention relates to a wiper for a cosmetic product container, said container comprising a body forming a cavity which is intended to receive the cosmetic product.

According to the invention, the wiper comprises:

-   -   a first part, referred to as the fixing part, which can be fixed         to said body, and     -   a second, flexible part, which is designed to extend within the         cavity, from a shoulder of said body, said flexible part being         further designed so as to prevent the cosmetic product from         coming into contact with the shoulder,

said flexible part being integral with said fixing part or attached to said fixing part.

The wiper from the invention has the advantage of preventing any stagnation of cosmetic product under the shoulder of said body. This makes it possible to increase the cosmetic product retrieval capacity of applicator assemblies comprising a container provided with such a wiper.

Moreover, the flexible part of the wiper is integral with the fixing part, or attached thereto. This has the advantage of making easier the assembly of the wiper on the body of the container.

According to different embodiments of the invention, which may be taken together or separately:

-   -   the fixing part is rigid; in other words, it is not deformable         by force exerted by a users fingers,     -   said flexible part is a bellows which is integral with said         fixing part,     -   the bellows has a free end, opposite to said fixing part,     -   said free end is in the form of a material outgrowth extending         transversely to a main axis of said wiper,     -   said outgrowth has a wiping orifice for wiping the product,     -   said outgrowth extends radially from the free end,     -   said outgrowth is a washer which is designed to be movable         relative to said body,     -   the wiper from the invention comprises a wiping orifice at the         border between said fixing part and said flexible part,     -   the flexible part comprises at least one slit, said slit         extending substantially along a main axis of said wiper, over         all or part of the flexible part,     -   the flexible part comprises a plurality of slits forming petals         over all or part of the flexible part, said petals being         integral with the fixing part,     -   the flexible part comprises a plurality of slits forming petals         over all or part of the flexible part, said petals being         attached to said fixing part,     -   said petals are overmoulded on said fixing part,     -   said petals are clipped to said fixing part,     -   said petals are adhered to said fixing part,     -   the free ends of said petals extend radially, in particular so         as to be able to brush against said body,     -   said material outgrowth of the bellows, and/or a free end of         said petals, has a radial extension which is greater than a         radial extension of said fixing part,     -   the wiper is a plastics part.

The invention also relates to a container comprising a wiper as described above.

According to different embodiments of the invention, which may be taken together or separately:

-   -   the body of said container extends in a main direction of         longitudinal extension, referred to as the main axis,     -   a main axis of the wiper is intended to correspond to said main         axis of the body,     -   said body having a collar, a side wall and a bottom,     -   said bottom is opposite said collar along said main axis of the         body and/or the wiper,     -   said side wall extends between the collar and the bottom,     -   said collar comprises a neck and the shoulder from which the         flexible part of the wiper extends within the cavity of the         container,     -   said shoulder defines a border between the neck and said side         wall,     -   the fixing part can be fixed within the neck,     -   the flexible part extends within the cavity, towards the bottom         along the main axis,     -   the ratio between the height H of said container, measured along         the main axis between the bottom and the free end of the collar,         and the height h of the wiper measured along the main axis,         follows the following formula:

0.25≦h/H≦0.45,

-   -   the washer of said wiper has a shape which is complementary to         an internal section of the cavity,     -   the dimensions of the periphery of washer are at most equal to         the dimensions of the internal section of the cavity so as to         brush against said inner wall,     -   the petals of said wiper brush against said body, in particular         at the free end thereof.

The invention also relates to a cosmetic product applicator assembly, comprising:

-   -   a container as described above,     -   an applicator sub-assembly which can be fixed to said container,         such that at least part of said applicator sub-assembly is         housed within said container.

According to different embodiments of the invention, which may be taken together or separately:

-   -   said container is filled with viscous cosmetic product,     -   said product is mascara,     -   the applicator sub-assembly comprises a cap which can be fixed         to the neck, a rod extending from the cap and an applicator         fixed to a free end of the rod,     -   the applicator comprises a core and a plurality of protrusions         or bristles extending from the core,     -   the applicator rod is curved in part so as to come into contact         with the mascara which is close to the bottom of the container,     -   the applicator core is curved in part so as to come into contact         with the mascara which is close to the bottom of the container         and/or close to the free end(s) of the flexible part of said         wiper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood, and its other aims, details, features and advantages will become more clearly apparent in the following detailed explanatory description of at least one embodiment of the invention given by way of purely illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal section through a first embodiment of a wiper for a cosmetic product container according to the invention, the flexible part of the wiper being at rest,

FIG. 2 is the same view as in FIG. 1, the flexible part of the wiper being under stress,

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section through a second embodiment of a wiper according to the invention,

FIG. 4 is a view from below of the example shown in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a schematic longitudinal section through the wiper from FIG. 3 during assembly on a container according to the invention,

FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal section through the wiper from FIG. 3, said wiper being assembly on said container,

FIG. 7 is an elevated view of part of a first embodiment of an cosmetic product applicator assembly according to the invention, having an applicator sub-assembly which comprises an applicator having a curved core, the applicator being shown in a transparent view within the body of a cosmetic product container according to the invention,

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that in FIG. 7, the applicator being shown close to a shoulder of said container, the wiper having been partially shown so as to facilitate understanding of the figure,

FIG. 9 is an elevated view of a second embodiment of an applicator assembly according to the invention having an applicator sub-assembly comprising an applicator having a curved rod,

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a ratio between the heights of the different elements forming an embodiment of a container according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 and 10, the invention relates to a wiper 10 for a cosmetic product container 20.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a wiper 10, while FIGS. 3 to 6 show a second embodiment.

The wipers 10 shown within the context of these two embodiments can be fixed, by a fixing part 12, to a body 22 of said container 20. This body forms a cavity 24 within which a second part of the wiper 10, referred to as the flexible part 14 in the following, extends. The cavity 24 is intended to contain the cosmetic product, which is essentially viscous, in particular mascara.

According to the invention, the flexible part 14 of the wiper 10 is designed to prevent the cosmetic product from coming into contact with a shoulder 25 of said body 22.

Within the context of the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, said flexible part 14 is integral with said fixing part 12. More specifically, said flexible part 14 is a bellows 15 which has a free end opposite said fixing part 12. This free end has a wiping orifice 16 and may advantageously be in the form of a material outgrowth extending transversely to a main axis of said wiper 10.

Said main axis of the wiper is provided with reference sign Y in the following; it is preferably combined with the main direction of longitudinal extension of said wiper 10.

The material outgrowth is advantageously in the form of a washer 17 which is movable relative to said body 22, in particular along said main axis Y. FIGS. 1 and 2 show this movability by showing the bellows 15 being at rest in FIG. 1 and under stress in FIG. 2. “Under stress” means under the action of an external force which is being exerted along the main axis Y, from said free end towards the fixed part 12 of the wiper 10.

When it is under stress, the bellows 15 is compressed so that said washer 17 is brought closer to the shoulder 25, while preventing the cosmetic product contained in the cavity 24 from coming into contact therewith. This situation corresponds in particular to that of removing the applicator from the container 20, said applicator being wiped at the level of said wiping orifice 16.

A second embodiment is set out here, in particular on the basis of FIGS. 3 to 6. In the second embodiment, the flexible part 14 is in the form of petals 13 which are separated by a plurality of slits 18 over all or part of the flexible part 14. In this case, the flexible part 14 may either be integral with said fixing part 12 or attached to said fixing part 12. Therefore, these petals may advantageously be clipped to said fixing part 12, adhered to said fixing part 12 or overmoulded thereon.

This design in petals 13 which extend between two slits 18 has the advantage of making easier the assembly of said wiper 10 on the cosmetic product container 20. Indeed, as shown in FIG. 5, the petals 13 can be easily brought closer to one another, in particular about the main axis Y of the wiper 10, in order to form an assembly having low radial dimensions. This assembly having low dimensions can slide within the body 22 of said container 20 without difficulty. It should be noted that the petals 13 can overlap with one another in order to do this.

Once inside the cavity 24, as shown in FIG. 6, the petals 13 open out. The free ends of said petals 13 thus extend radially in the direction of said body 22, in particular so as to brush against said body 22, or so as to touch said body 22. This is possible because said petals 13 have an intrinsic resilience which allows them to bend under low radial stress, which is exerted for example transversely to the main axis Y, and which allows them to open out without the aid of any external force, in particular when no stress is exerted thereon.

Once opened out within the cavity 24 of said body 22, the petals 13 are oriented along the main axis Y, in a direction which is opposite the shoulder 25. Therefore, said petals 13 prevent the cosmetic product from coming into contact with said shoulder 25. In other words, once opened out within the cavity 24, the petals 13 form a dome. More specifically, the petals 13 are oriented in a direction forming an angle of between 0° and 90° relative to the axis X, Y. Moreover, each petal 13 is curved, the concave part of the petal 13 being oriented towards the cavity 24 (the convex part being oriented towards the shoulder 25). This dome shape improves the retrieval rate since it delimits a portion of the inner wall of the cavity 24, said portion which is inclined relative to the axis X, Y. This inclination makes it easier to retrieve mascara using the applicator.

The wiping orifice is provided with reference numeral 19 in this embodiment. It is located at the border between said fixing part 12 and said flexible part 14.

It should be noted that the wiper 10 is a plastics part, whatever the embodiment envisaged. The wiper 10 is advantageously obtained by moulding, for example from a material based on LDPE (low-density polyethylene). Other materials can be used, namely the material “EXACT” from ExxonMobil or the material “HYTREL” from Dupont, or a mixture of these materials.

It should also be noted that the fixing part 12 is rigid, whatever the embodiment envisaged. “Rigid” means a part which has a rigidity which is sufficient to ensure that the wiper 10 is held in the body 22 of the container 20 and to ensure the sealing between said container 20 and the outside. Advantageously, said rigid part 12 is not split. In this case, it has a cylindrical design.

Additionally, the fixing part 12 is assembled to the body 22 of the container 20, in the region of a collar 23. This collar 23 is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 8.

It can also be seen from FIGS. 1, 2, 5 to 8 and 10 that the body 22 of said container 20 extends in a main direction of longitudinal extension, referred to as the main axis and provided with reference sign X. The main axis Y of the wiper 10 is intended to correspond to said main axis X after said wiper has been assembled in the region of the collar 23.

More specifically, said collar 23 comprises a neck 27 and the shoulder 25 from which the flexible part 14 of the wiper 10 extends within the cavity 24 of the container 20. The fixing part 12 is in fact fixed within the neck 27. This fixing is advantageously produced by formfitting. More specifically, the fixing part 12 has beads of material serving as stops for keeping said wiper 10 in position after being assembled within the neck 27.

The body 22 has, in addition, a side wall 26 (see FIGS. 2 and 6) and a bottom 28 (see FIG. 7). The cavity 24 is defined within the space delimited by the shoulder 25, the side wall 26 and the bottom 28. Said bottom 28 is opposite said collar 27 along said main axis X, Y and said side wall 26 extends between the collar 27 and the bottom 28. As can be seen, in particular in FIGS. 2 and 6, said shoulder 25 defines a border between the neck 27 and said side wall 26.

Therefore, the above-described flexible part 14 extends within the cavity 24, towards the bottom 28 along the main axis X, Y.

A dimensional ratio allows a maximum amount of product to be retrieved from the container 20. This dimensional ratio is given by way of non-limiting example, and in particular in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which the flexible part 14 is a bellows 15. This is no way excludes the second embodiment of the scope of the invention, or any other embodiment which is not set out here.

This dimensional ratio is a ratio between the height H of the container 20, measured along the main axis X, Y between the bottom 28 and the free end of the collar 27, and the height h of the wiper 10, when the bellows 15 is at rest, also measured along the main axis X, Y. This ratio is shown in FIG. 10; it follows the following formula:

0.25≦h/H≦0.45.

For example, the height H of the container 20 is approximately 100 mm, preferably substantially equal to 105 mm, and the height h is approximately 40 mm, preferably substantially equal to 39 mm.

In order to retrieve the maximum amount of product from the container 20, it is also advantageous to provide the washer 17 with a shape which is complementary to an internal section of the cavity 24. Said section may be constant along said main axis X, Y; for example it may be circular, without this being limiting. It may also vary along said main axis X,Y, such that said washer has a bevelled edge, without departing from the scope of the invention.

The dimensions of the periphery of the washer 17 are advantageously at most equal to the dimensions of the internal section of the cavity 27 so as to brush against said inner wall 26 and to thus ensure that the cosmetic product does not come into contact with the shoulder 25, or in order to ensure that said product is scraped towards the bottom 28 of said container 10 owing to said bellows 15 returning to its rest position.

Indeed, the bellows 15 has an intrinsic resilience which allows it to be compressed under low axial stress, which is exerted for example along the main axis X, Y towards the free end of the collar 23, and to return to its initial rest position without the aid of any external force.

Therefore, said wiper 10, owing to its bellows 15, can push the cosmetic product which may have adhered to the side wall 26 back towards the bottom 28 of said body 22.

Additionally, a volume of a height h2 will be left free between the mascara 40 contained in the cavity 24 and said washer 17 (see FIG. 10), after filling.

For example, the mascara 40 may occupy a volume of a height h3 of approximately 60 mm, while the height h2 of said free volume is approximately 6 mm.

An applicator sub-assembly is intended to be fixed to the container 20 from the invention.

Said applicator sub-assembly can be fixed to said container 20, such that at least part of said applicator sub-assembly is housed within said container 20. An example of such an applicator sub-assembly is shown in FIG. 9.

In FIG. 9, the applicator sub-assembly comprises a cap 34 which can be fixed to the neck 27, a rod 33 extending from the cap 34 and an applicator 32 fixed to a free end of the rod. The applicator 32 comprises a core and a plurality of protrusions or bristles extending from the core. As will be understood, it is the mascara with which the applicator is loaded which is wiped by said wiper when said sub-assembly passes through said wiper.

It should be noted that the embodiments set out above make it possible to retrieve a greater amount of cosmetic product when the sub-assembly comprises an applicator 32 having a rod 33 which is curved in part (see FIG. 9) or a core which is curved in part (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

Indeed, in these two cases, the applicator 32 easily comes into contact with the cosmetic product which is close to the bottom 28 of the container 20, in particular with the cosmetic product which is close to the connection between said bottom 28 and the side wall 26.

It should also be noted that variants are of course possible. In particular, the curved core shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 may be used together with any type of wiper 10, even those which do not have a flexible part 14. Indeed, the curve that it forms can scrape any cosmetic product which is under the shoulder 25. However, it is preferable to combine the use of said applicator 32 having a curved core with a wiper 10 from the invention, in particular with the wiper from the first embodiment.

The retrieval rate of the cosmetic product is optimal—for example close to 67%—when the wiper 10 from the first embodiment is used in combination with the applicator 32 having a curved core. In other words, on one hand, 67% of the mascara 40 contained within the cavity 24 of the container 20 may be removed from said container 20 when it comprises a wiper 10 from the invention, and on the other hand, when it is used in combination with an applicator 32 having a curved core, or an applicator 32 having a curved rod 33.

Moreover, the wiper 10 from the first embodiment has the advantage of reducing the amount of parasitic air in the cavity 24 of the container 20, and therefore of reducing any pumping action which may exist when manipulating the applicator sub-assembly relative to the container 20, in particular when removing said applicator 32 from the container 20 or when reinserting it into the container 20. 

1. Wiper for a cosmetic product container, said container comprising a body forming a cavity which is intended to receive the cosmetic product, the wiper comprising: a first part, referred to as the fixing part, which can be fixed to said body, and a second, flexible part, which is designed to extend within the cavity, from a shoulder of said body, said flexible part being further designed so as to prevent the cosmetic product from coming into contact with the shoulder, said flexible part being integral with said fixing part or attached to said fixing part.
 2. Wiper according to claim 1, wherein said flexible part is a bellows which is integral with said fixing part.
 3. Wiper according to claim 2, wherein the bellows has a free end, opposite to said fixing part, said free end being in the form of a material outgrowth extending transversely to a main axis (Y) of said wiper.
 4. Wiper according to claim 3, wherein said outgrowth has a wiping orifice for wiping the product.
 5. Wiper according to claim 3, wherein said outgrowth extends radially from the free end.
 6. Wiper according to claim 3, wherein said outgrowth is a washer which is designed to be movable relative to said body.
 7. Wiper according to claim 1, comprising a wiping orifice at the border between said fixing part and said flexible part.
 8. Wiper according to claim 7, wherein the flexible part comprises at least one slit, said slit extending substantially along a main axis (Y) of said wiper, over all or part of the flexible part.
 9. Wiper according to claim 8, wherein the flexible part comprises a plurality of slits (18) forming petals over all or part of the flexible part, said petals being integral with the fixing part.
 10. Wiper according to claim 8, wherein the flexible part comprises a plurality of slits forming petals over all or part of the flexible part, said petals being attached to said fixing part.
 11. Wiper according to claim 9, wherein the free ends of said petals extend radially so as to be able to brush against said body.
 12. Container comprising a wiper according to claim 1, the body extending in a main direction of longitudinal extension, referred to as the main axis (X) of the body, said body having a collar, a side wall and a bottom, said bottom being opposite said collar along said main axis (X) of the body, said side wall extending between the collar and the bottom, said collar comprising a neck and the shoulder, said shoulder defining a border between the neck and said side wall.
 13. Applicator assembly for a cosmetic product, comprising: a container according to claim 12, an applicator sub-assembly which can be fixed to said container, such that at least part of said applicator sub-assembly is housed within said container.
 14. Applicator assembly according to claim 13, wherein said container is filled with viscous cosmetic product.
 15. Applicator assembly according to claim 14, wherein said product is mascara. 